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24th Trofeo Luis Puig - 1.2
Spain, February 24, 2004
2003 Results Results Past winners
Freire wins...solo
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) has won the 24th edition of the Trofeo Luis Puig, surprisingly the first Spanish rider to do so since Peio Ruiz-Cabestany in 1987. It was an unusual win for the sprinter from Torrelavega, as Freire attacked a five man breakaway in the final kilometres to hold off the charging peloton for the victory. Alejandro Valverde (Com. Valenciana-Kelme) won the bunch sprint for second ahead of Josu Silloniz (Euskaltel).
The 185 km race started in Valencia this year, which meant that the crucial Cat. 1 climb of the Coll de Rates came towards the end of the race. The first 160 km saw numerous attacks, none of which were successful for long enough to make it interesting in the lead up to the climb. But once the peloton hit the 630m ascent, things changed with Oscar Freire surprising everyone in making the first attack, later joined by Antonio Colom (Illes Balears-Banesto), Koldo Gil (Liberty Seguros), Ruben Plaza (Com.Valenciana-Kelme) and Bingen Fernandez (Cofidis).
Aided by a tailwind and a lack of organisation by Erik Zabel's T-Mobile team, the five riders worked hard together to maintain an advantage of nearly a minute on the downhill run into Benidorm. However Freire, sensing the peloton was getting closer, was not content to leave it to a sprint and attacked his companions in the final few kilometres in Benidorm. The move was successful and Freire crossed the line alone to win, while the rest of the break was caught.
Results - 185.3 km (Valencia - Benidorm)
1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 4.26.04 (41.787 km/h) 2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.04 3 Josu Silloniz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team 5 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 6 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) Costa De Almeria-Paternina 7 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo 8 Francisco Gutierrez (Spa) Cafes Baque 9 Matthew White (Aus) Cofidis, le credit par telephone 10 Pablo Lastras (Spa) Illes Balears-Banesto 11 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo 12 Antonio Colom (Spa) Illes Balears-Banesto 13 Jorge Garcia (Spa) Cafes Baque 14 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 15 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank 16 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 17 Iker Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 18 Javier Ramirez (Spa) Liberty Seguros 19 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank 20 David Blanco (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 21 Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cofidis, le credit par telephone 22 Rolf Aldag (Ger) T-Mobile Team 23 Rafael Casero (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 24 José Alberto Martinez (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 25 Xavier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears-Banesto 26 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Liberty Seguros 27 David Lopez (Spa) Cafes Baque 28 Bingen Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis, le credit par telephone 29 Johan Van Summerren (Bel) Relax-Bodysol 30 Francisco Palacio (Spa) Cafes Baque 31 Joseba Albizu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 32 Denis Menchov (Rus) Illes Balears-Banesto 33 Johann Tschopp (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 34 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 35 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 36 Axel Merckx (Bel) Lotto-Domo 37 Daniel Atienza (Spa) Cofidis, le credit par telephone 38 Koldo Gil (Spa) Liberty Seguros 39 Adolfo Garcia (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 40 Cadel Evans (Aus) T-Mobile Team 41 Alex Zuelle (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 42 Juan Gomis (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 43 Mario Aerts (Bel) T-Mobile Team 44 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Liberty Seguros 45 Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ag2R Prevoyance 8.20 46 Alberto Hierro (Spa) Cafes Baque 9.32 47 Gonzalo Bayarri (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 48 Alberto Contador (Spa) Liberty Seguros 49 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Lotto-Domo 11.43 50 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Domo 51 Bert Roesems (Bel) Relax-Bodysol 52 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 53 Ivan Mayoz (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 13.02 Mountains Alto De Barx - Cat. 3, km 58,70 1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 6 pts 2 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Saunier Duval 4 3 Luis Perez (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 2 4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Illes Balears-Banesto 1 Alto Del Montgo - Cat. 3, km 113,00 1 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 6 pts 2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 4 3 Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2 4 Luis Perez (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 1 Coll De Rates - Cat. 1, km 148,00 1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 16 pts 2 Antonio Colom Mas (Spa) Illes Balears-Banesto 12 3 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 10 4 Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa) Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone 8 5 Alex Zülle (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 6 6 José Alberto Martinez Trinidad (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 4 7 Jokin Ormaetxea (Spa) Costa de Almeria-Paternina 3 8 David Blanco (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 2 9 Carlos Garcia Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 1 Special Sprints Alzira, km 35,00 1 Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3 pts 2 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2 3 Bert Roesems (Bel) Relax-Bodysol 1 Denia, km 106,50 1 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 3 pts 2 Denis Menchov (Rus) Illes Balears-Banesto 2 3 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 1
Past winners
Year Winner Finish 2003 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Valencia 171 km in 4.14.29 (40.647 km/h) 2002 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Benidorm 180 km in 4.24.24 (40.915 km/h) 2001 Erik Zabel (Ger) Valencia 186 km in 4.39.45 (39.034) 2000 Erik Zabel (Ger) Benidorm 1999 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Valencia 190 km in 4.34.35 (41.517) 1998 Andre Tchmil (Bel) Valencia 186 km in 4.36.21 (40.384) 1997 Erik Zabel (Ger) Valencia 1996 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Valencia 1995 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Valencia 1994 Adriano Baffi (Ita) Valencia 1993 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Valencia 1992 Sean Kelly (Ire) Benidorm 1991 Andreas Kappes (Ger) Benidorm 1990 Tom Cordes (Ned) Benidorm 1989 Mathieu Hermans (Ned) Cullera 1988 Acacio Da Silva (Por) Benidorm 1987 Peio Ruiz-Cabestany (Spa) Benidorm 1986 Bernard Hinault (Fra) Denia 1985 Enrique Aja (Spa) Elda 1984 Noél Dejonckheere (Bel) Torrent 1983 Noél Dejonckheere (Bel) Burjassot 1982 Raimund Dietzen (Ger) Benifays 1981 Noél Dejonckheere (Bel) Algemesm 1979 Antoine Gutierrez (Spa) 1978 Javier Elorriaga (Spa) 1977 Domingo Perurena (Spa) 1976 Tomas Nistal (Spa) 1975 Eddy Peelman (Bel) 1974 Eddy Peelman (Bel) 1973 Gustave Van Roosbroeck (Bel) 1972 Eric Leman (Bel) 1971 Pe Verhaegen (Bel) 1970 Ramon Saez (Spa) 1969 Carlos Echeverria (Spa) Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
